Proposal for a London-wide approach to ensuring full implementation of the Unique Learner Number for all London’s young residents aged 14 (and over)

Proposing organisation

London Councils

London Councils represents all 32 London boroughs, the City of London, the Metropolitan Police Authority and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority. London Councils is committed to fighting for more resources for London and getting the best possible deal for London’s 33 councils. We develop policy, lobby government and others, and run a range of services designed to make life better for Londoners.

This proposal has been prepared by Young People’s Education and Skills, which provides pan-London leadership for 14-19 education and training provision in relation to the current and future needs of learners and employers supports local authorities in undertaking their statutory functions, and assists other stakeholders in planning, policy and provision.

This work is further supported by our Data Advisory Group (a constitutional group that reports to our Board) and the groups Chair, Rob Atkins (Children’s Services, Islington Council).

Aim of proposal

The aim of this proposal is to develop a London-wide interface between the Learning Records Service and London local authority Client Caseload information Systems (CCIS) to:

- enrich personal education information held on local CCIS to assist local authorities in discharging their statutory duties to:

  - encourage, enable and assist young people to participate in education or training;
  - promote young people’s participation in education and training up to the age of 17 by 2013 and 18 by 2015;
  - support vulnerable young people;
  - provide early intervention for those at risk of disengagement;
  - monitor and record young people’s activity and non-activity (participation, Not Engaged in Education, Employment or Training (NEET) and activity not known for 16 to 18 year olds).

- More effectively implement the Unique Learner Number (ULN) for all London’s young residents aged 14 (and over) following the Department for Education (DfE) Schools Star Chamber approval for mandatory use of the ULN.

- Support the January 2013 ‘soft start’ collection of the ULN within the school census (and the consequent mandatory rollout from January 2014).

- Enable more effective sharing of learner data, including Awarding Body qualification data.

To implement a London-wide interface with the Learning Records Service we will register as a Developer and explore the necessary options to create the interface. In the meantime and to ensure that London can support the January 2013 ‘soft start’ we propose an initial phase of activity to test out sharing of data with a local authority whilst the interface work is undertaken. Phase 1 – Testing a local authority-wide approach to obtaining ULNs for all young people educated in Islington

4,960 young people aged between 16 and 19 currently live in Islington, and roughly 1,600 young people complete Key Stage 4 in Islington's schools every year. These young people attend a very wide range of post-16 education and training providers (almost 200 different providers in total in 2011). In line with the transfer of Information, Advice and Guidance responsibility to schools, Islington’s in-house Information, Advice and Guidance Team has been reduced significantly over the past 2 years. It is therefore essential to find a more efficient means of tracking the participation of young people than the current system which relies on Islington Council staff pursuing information from individual providers. The process is made particularly challenging by the lack of consistent identifying information. Using the Unique Learner Number (ULN) to confirm participation would provide a solution, however this option is not currently available as Islington’s schools only request ULNs for a small minority of young people aged below 16 (those attending programmes where the ULN is a requirement).

London Councils and Islington Council propose that, in partnership with Islington’s schools, a trial should take place testing a local authority-wide approach to obtaining ULNs for all young people educated in Islington. In 2013, batch upload of Islington pupil data will provide all 4,827 young people currently in academic years 9 to 11 with a ULN. This will have the following advantages:

- a minimal increase in bureaucracy for schools, whilst still allowing all pupils to benefit from the Unique Learner Number (schools will still be required to participate in exception handling).
- The opportunity for the Local Authority to guarantee that all young people in the Local Authority have been issued a Unique Learner Number, including those young people in Special Schools, the Pupil Referral Unit and other alternative education provision.
- A decrease in bureaucracy for local colleges and training providers, who will be made aware that there will not be a need to obtain a ULN for young people progressing from Islington schools, and who will be able to access qualification details via the Personal Learning Record for all Islington applicants.
- An improvement in the accuracy of progression information and increased efficiency in obtaining and processing progression data, particularly as it will be possible to share a full set of ULN data with the Central London sub-regional IAG unit (Central London Connexions) who retain responsibility for processing CCIS participation data on behalf of Central London Local Authorities.
- If the pilot year is successful, data for all Year 9 pupils educated in Islington (currently roughly 1,600 pupils per year) will be uploaded and processed annually to allocate a ULN, with clear requirements and processes in place for schools to obtain ULNs for new joiners after the Year 9 January school census return.

The exact process to be undertaken during the pilot will be confirmed with colleagues at the Learning Records Service; however the following is suggested as an outline example: Phase 2 – Local authority access to the Personal Learner Record Service

Through the Data Advisory Group we will identify a Task and Finish Group of local authorities to register for access to the PLR to explore how access to this data can support authorities to discharge their statutory duties, and support the work of the Learning Records Service.

We propose that this trial is managed through the Data Advisory Group as its governance arrangements will ensure appropriate safeguards in respect of access to and sharing of personal data and robust evaluation of the trial to support the development of a London-wide interface.

To ensure the Learning Records Service remains fully advised of this work we are keen to include colleagues from the Service onto the Task and Finish Group.

Next Steps

Should the Learning Records Service wish to accept our proposals and work with us we would welcome the attendance of colleagues from the Service at our next Data Advisory Group meeting on 12 December to meet Group members and discuss the proposals in more detail.

Yolande Burgess Strategy Director, Young People’s Education and Skills London Councils

Rob Atkins Analyst and Systems Officer Islington Council Chair, Data Advisory Group